Articles Posted in National Future Fishermen Summit

Tonight, more than 3,000 miles from our Seattle office, supporters in Portland, Maine are gathering to raise money for a group of young lobster harvesters. The goal is to send the students here, to our own waterfront, for a national gathering of the next generation of commercial fishers.

The students belong to Lift All Boats, a Portland nonprofit that opens the waterfront to young people from all walks of life. Fishing has long been a family trade, but fewer sons and daughters are following their parents to sea, and many captains are struggling to find good crew.

Lift All Boats was co-founded in 2022 by Luke Holden and Ben Conniff, the founders of Luke’s Lobster. The program began with just four students and has grown every year, with a recent cohort of 30 that included 20 returning students. Women make up a growing share of each cohort, in an industry where they have long been underrepresented. Many participants come from non-fishing backgrounds, and some had never set foot on a vessel. Lift All Boats helps young people obtain the student license that serves as the main pathway into professional lobstering, provides their gear, and takes them out to haul traps once a week. Their catch is bought at market price, so students earn real money and learn the economics and business of fishing firsthand. Those who want to fish professionally are connected with working captains who need help on deck.